Roller-skate



E. T. LEE

ROLLER SKATE.

APPLICATION men mm, 1920.

Patented July 13, 1920-,

UNITED STATES ELMER T. LEE, OF WATERBUBY, CONNECTICUT.

ROLLER-SKATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1920.

Application filed January 7, 1920. Serial No. 349,924.

To (4% whom it may concern Be it known that 1, Emma T. Lnn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of lVatcr-burv, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rollertrikates, which improvements are fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention relates to improvements in skates, and more particularly skates of the socalled'roller type; and its object is to provide a roller skate which shall be simple and inexpensive as regards its construction; curable, eilicient and reliable in practical service; ronvenient in its application to practical purposes; and which shall possess certain well-defined advantages over prior analogous constructions.

The invention consists in certain combinations, details and parts whereby, together with the novel disposition and relative arrangement of said parts, the attainment of the foregoing object is rendered practicable, all of which will be hereinafter more sp cifically referred to and set forth in the claims hereto appended.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing. wherein:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a sheet-metal blank usable in the formation of the heel-section of the supporting body of my improved skate.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a roller skate embodying my said improvements.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 4 is a central-vertical longitudinal section of same, as along the dotted line 44: of Fig. 2, the bearing-rollers removed.

Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section, as along the dotted line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a rear end view of the skate.

l-laving reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein similar reference-numerals denote like parts throughout the several views, I, in carrying out my present invention, make use of a supporting body consisting of a heel-plate 6 and a sole-plate 7, said heel-plate and sole-plate being so adjustably conjoined, each with the other, as to be longitudinally extensible, each relatively to the other.

The heel-plate 6 is best stamped from metal in sheet-form and in its primarily blanked form, as shown approximately in Fig. 1, is approximately flat and has opposite, lateral flaps 6', 6", which are turned,

each downwardly and returned beneath the advance or instep segment of said heelplate, in spaced parallel relation therewith, said flaps being terminated, each materially short of the other, whereby an unoccupied, slot-like space 6 is left between them, and forming between them opposite guide-ways 7 7 into which projects endwise and slid ingly operates the fiat, relatively narrowed shank 8 of the sole-plate 7.

The heel-plate 6 is provided with a medial longitudinal slot 8, open at its advance end, and which lies in registry with the open space 6" thereunder.

8 denotes a screw-bolt projectim downwardly through the assembled heel-pl ate segment and sole-plate shank, by way of the slot 8 of the former and a suitable opening 9 formed in the latter, said screw-bolt having a relatively enlarged head overlying the heel-plate segment at opposite sides of the slot 8', and having a suitable nut, 9, preferably of the finger type, threaded thereon at its lower end-portion, occupying the space 6', and securely locking between itself and the head aforenamed, when turned duly homeward, the heel-plate segment and soleplate shank assembled as stated.

It will be understood that these parts may be released for longitudinal adjustment, each relatively to the other, by reversely turning the nut 9', and whenever it may be desired to lengthen or shorten the skate; and it will be further understood that deflection of either the sole-plate or heel-plate relatively to the other, is exceptionally well overcome, by reason of the extended bearing which the shank of the sole-plate has at all points within the guide-ways wherein it operates.

There are firmly attached, as by means of rivets 9", 9", and 10, 10, respectively, to the sole-plate 7 and depending therefrom, opposite sheet-metal hangers 10", 10", the one turned midway thereof and suitably upon itself to form therefor an axle-sleeve 11, and the other correspondingly turned to form therefor a like axle-sleeve 11, said sleeves 11, 11, standing in axial alinement each with the other, and wherein is positioned, firmly as through the medium of retaining-pins 11", 11", a front axle 12, on which is mounted to rotate a bearing-roller 12, there being also attached, as by means of rivets 12, 12", to the heel-plate 6, and depending therefrom a hanger 13, conforming in all essential details to either of the hangers 10", and hence fitted at its lower extremity with an axle-sleeve 13, cor

responding to either of the axle-sleeves 11,]

11, wherein is positioned, firmly as through the medium of a retaining-pin 13", a rear axle let, on which are mounted to rotate, at the opposite sides of the hanger 13, opposite bearing-rollers let, let", each of the several I bearing-rollers made use of having its periphery contracted width-wise relatively to the-hub or central portion thereof, substantially as shownin Figs. 5 and 6.

The several hangers made use of are rendered serviceably rigid, respectively, by

'means of intermediate braces 15,. 15, 15",

one for each hanger.

There is further firmly attached to the sole-plate 7,jas through the medium of rivets 16, 16", and depending therefrom, in advance ofthe hangers lO, 10, a minor hanger 16, wherein is positioned, firmly as through the medium of a suitable bolt-retaming pin 17, an operating-bolt 17, having toe-clamps 17", 17', loosely disposed thereon at theopposite sides of the sole-plate 7, and threaded at its opposite ends to receive achusting nuts 18, 18, whereby said clamps are drawn, each toward the other, for a locking engagement with the sole of the foot-covering worn by the user, or released from such locking engagement, accordingly as said nuts, or either thereof, shall bedirectly 0r reversely turned on 'said operating-bolt, said clamps being provided with relatively extended shanks skate is not only well adapted for the purposesfor which it is intended, being simple and cheap to produce and insuring, by reason of the peripherally contracted bearingrollers made use of, surface-contact advantages not present in prior analogous de vices, but may be modified to a considerable extent, particularly as regards the details of construction thereof, without materially departing from the spirit and principle of my invention as set forth and coming Within the scopeof, the claims hereto appendedQ I claim: 7 V

1. A roller skate comprising a supporting body consisting of a relatively flat heel plate having guide-ways at the opposite sidesof the advance portion thereof; a soleplate having a relatively flat shank fitting and adjustably secured within said guideways sheet-metal hangers depending, a pair thereof duly spaced from said'sole-plate and one thereof from said heel-plate; an axle fixed in said pair of hangers and having a bearing-roller rotatable thereon between said pair of hangers; an axle fixed in the hanger depending from said heel-plate and having a pair of bearing-rollers rotatable thereon, at the opposite sides of the hanger supporting the same; and means for attaching said skate to the foot-covering of the user, each of SiLlCl hangers affording an axle-sleeve for the reception of the axle provided forceoperation therewith. I

' .2. A roller skate comprising a supporting body consisting of a relatively flat heelplate having guide-ways at the opposite sides of the advance portion thereof; a soleplate having a relatively flat shank fitting and adjustably secured within said guideways; sheet-metal hangers depending, a pair thereof duly spaced from said soleplate and one thereof from said heel-plate; an axle fixed in said pair of hangers and having a bearing roller rotatable thereon between said pair of hangers; an axle fixed in the hanger depending from said heelplate and having a pair of bearing-rollers rotatable thereon, at the opposite sides of the hanger supporting the same; and means for attaching said skate to the foot-covering of the user, each of said bearing-rollershaving its periphery contracted widthwise relatively to the hub or central portion thereof.

' ELMER T. LEE. 

